President arrives in Tanzania for State visit

Hanoi (VNA) – State President Truong Tan Sang landed Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar Es Salaam city, Tanzania, on the early morning of March 9 (Vietnam time), starting his State visit to the African country.

The President, his spouse and delegation were greeted with a traditional dancing and singing performance by Tanzanian artists. An official welcome ceremony will be held at the Tanzanian Presidential Palace.

During his State visit, President Truong Tan Sang is scheduled to hold talks with President John Magufuli, meet with officials from the Tanzanian parliament and the Revolutionary Party of Tanzania (CCM), attend the Vietnam-Tanzania Business Forum, and talk with the Vietnamese community there.

Tanzania is the first leg of President Sang’s African and Middle East tour that also includes Mozambique and Iran.

Vietnam and Tanzania set up their diplomatic ties on February 14, 1965 and many high-level leaders of Tanzania have since made visits to Vietnam.

Tanzania has recognised Vietnam as a market economy.

Bilateral economic cooperation has seen positive development. Two-way trade increased from 156 million USD in 2014 to 204 million USD in 2015. The military-run telecommunication group Viettel is running a joint venture in Tanzania with a total investment of over 700 million USD.

The two countries have signed a number of cooperation agreements, including a trade agreement in 2001, a memorandum of understanding on an agricultural cooperation programme in 2002, and an agreement on economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation. An inter-governmental committee has been set up with the first meeting held in December 2014.-VNA